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Packaging system and methodRelated Patent Categories: Package Making, Methods, Group Forming Of Contents Into A Unit, With Orienting (e.g., Turning Labels Face Out)Packaging system and method description/claimsThe Patent Description & Claims data below is from USPTO Patent Application 20070157570, Packaging system and method. Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION [0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/752,314 filed on Dec. 19, 2005. The entire disclosure of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/752,314 is incorporated by reference herein. FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates generally to packaging, and, more particularly, to a system and method for packaging a plurality of bottles. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0003] Two of the most persistent and overarching challenges facing the packaging industry are space management and breakage concerns. Specifically, the packaging and storage of multiple bottles, such as water and/or wine bottles, in conventional lots, known as cases, often waste valuable space due to the inefficient geometry and arrangement of the bottles. This wasted, or "dead" space is commonly found around the curved surfaces of conventional bottles, such as, for example, the cylindrical neck and rounded base of a conventional water or wine bottle. [0004] This dead space creates two significant problems. First, it provides the bottles with room to shift during movement and/or shipping, resulting in unwanted contact between the bottles and, ultimately, to breakage. Second, this dead space is unused, creating significant inefficiencies in space management. For example, in a-typical case (e.g., twelve bottles arranged in a box), the bottles fill approximately 60% of the space available, leaving the rest of the space empty. [0005] Many residual expenses flow from the breakage or damage of bottles, including re-shipping costs, replacement costs, clean up costs, loss of labels, ancillary damage or loss of packaging materials, contamination of other bottles in the same shipment, loss of product, and failure to meet business obligations. For example, employees must be paid to separate the broken bottles out of a shipment, clean up spilled product, clean off other bottles in the case, and remove and replace stained labels. This process increases costs and decreases productivity. [0006] FIG. 1 shows an exemplary prior art packaging arrangement of conventional bottles. For illustration purposes, only two bottles are depicted. As shown in FIG. 1, there are a number of dead space pockets or areas inherently formed by arranging conventional wine bottles having a rounded neck and rounded base adjacent to one another. This failure to use significant portions of space leads to higher shipping costs. In addition, when taken in the aggregate, a significant amount of space in warehouses, distribution centers, transportation means is ultimately wasted by the dead space between conventional bottles. [0007] Accordingly, a need exists for an efficient method and system for packaging bottles, such as water or wine bottles. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION [0008] Embodiments of the present invention satisfy these and other needs by providing a compact, re-enforced, and space-conserving packaging system. According to an embodiment of the present invention, the packaging system includes a plurality of bottles, such as water or wine bottles, having a geometry which allows for two like bottles to "mate" when arranged in a mated configuration (i.e., with opposing ends together). [0009] Specifically, two bottles are arranged in the mated configuration by fitting a neck of a first bottle into a corresponding groove in the base of a second bottle. The pair of mated bottles form a block having substantially flat side surfaces, which may be arranged in a substantially flush manner with adjacent block(s) and/or side walls of an outer housing (e.g., a box). Due to the geometry of the bottles, the blocks are formed and arranged together with little to no dead space in the package. [0010] According to an embodiment of the invention, the packaging system may include a holding sleeve which secures and maintains the pairs of bottles in the mated configuration (i.e., the individual blocks), while, additionally holding the plurality of blocks together in a rigid, re-enforced fashion within the housing of the packaging system. [0011] The compact packaging provided by the present invention reduces the amount of dead space, particularly the space typically present around the cylindrical necks of conventional bottles arranged in a package. Advantageously, breakage complications that stem from movement beyond the inherent tolerance of the packaged arrangement are also reduced. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0012] The present invention will be more readily understood from the detailed description of exemplary embodiments presented below considered in conjunction with the attached drawings, of which: [0013] FIG. 1 is an illustration of a prior art package including two conventional bottles; [0014] FIG. 2 is an illustration of an exemplary bottle, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0015] FIG. 2A illustrates exemplary shapes for a neck of a bottle, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0016] FIG. 3 illustrates a pair of exemplary bottles arranged in a mated configuration, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0017] FIG. 4 shows a plurality of blocks forming a exemplary package, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0018] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary holding sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention; [0019] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary segment of a holding sleeve, according to an embodiment of the present invention; Continue reading about Packaging system and method... Full patent description for Packaging system and method Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims Click on the above for other options relating to this Packaging system and method patent application. ###  How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored. 3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords. Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Packaging system and method or other areas of interest. ### Previous Patent Application: Method for packaging cd, dvd and the like Next Patent Application: Packing apparatus, packing bag forming method, and packing method Industry Class: Package making ### FreshPatents.com Support Thank you for viewing the Packaging system and method patent info. IP-related news and info Results in 0.13014 seconds Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories: Computers: Graphics , I/O , Processors , Dyn. 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